Nup, it’s actually quite normal for the summer of international cricket to start in early November. It only ever starts later for the Ashes series or special circumstances (like the World Cup in 2015 and Phil Hughes’s unfortunate death).
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We Need Bill Lawry Back, He outlived his Two Cohorts in the Original Commentary Team for Channel Nine during the World Series Cricket Era.
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You do realise he has to care for his wife and is 79 years of age? We will see him back in Melbourne (possibly Sydney) though, thank God.
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Mark Taylor said that there will be a new look graphics wise on the cricket. See what happens I guess.
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Awesome news! Nine’s graphic look poor compared to Sky (especially), Ten or even Star Sports.
Here’s a rare intro to the cricket.
Yeah will be interesting to see what they come up with.
With the current WWOS graphics/branding turning four years old next March and pretty much the rest of the network receiving branding changes over the past year or so (all the network channels have refreshed their branding, all the news/current affairs programs have received refreshed branding, etc.), surely the possibility of wider branding changes to Nine’s sports coverage in the foreseeable future can’t be ruled out?
As a cricket fan, I think nines graphics are the best cricket graphics in world cricket coverage as they show the most information than any other broadcaster. Particularly during one dayers where they add the strip at the bottom to show what they are chasing etc.
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Isn’t a similar time of the year every year. It feel perfect for me. Can’t wait for it.
I actually think the Ashes was one of the highest rating in a while. Plus the day/night test did big stuff for Nine last year.
I don’t think that is true at all Luke. Perhaps the Boxing Day test has a bit more of a following in Melbourne but certainly not the other cricket games. I would consider the Cricket to be the only true national sport that does very well in every market.
A much better test team is playing this time around. Pakistan and South Africa are a much better draw card. Should be great. Especially with the Ashes back on next year, good warm up.
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No, in my opinion Sky’s and Ten’s new graphics are way more polished and show more info (without taking up too much of the screen).
Sky Sports England:
Ten Sports:
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I guess the one thing that Nine’s graphics have been up until now is “different” enough.
And by that, practically all cricket broadcasters use the exact same backend for their graphics - I don’t recall the name - these days (Sky NZ has been the notable holdout). Although Nine have used the same since about the mid-2000s, they customise it enough to actually make it look like “their own” and not just a clone of everyone else’s with just the branding to differentiate. The graphics from @sammy123 show what I mean; you’ll see similar from the likes of the BCCI, and Fox Sports likewise when they had some of the Australian domestic coverage.
It would be a shame if they decided in their next iteration to not continue that tradition - although the graphical polish will indeed be welcome; it’s been six years now (Nine’s bottom-line graphics were first introduced in their green incarnation for the 2010/11 Ashes). I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.
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No South African voice apart from KP (a pseudo South African) because Supersport have sent their own team. Nicholas and Pietersen contributing with Shaun Pollock, Kepler Wessels, Tom Moody, Ashwell Prince and Mike Haysman also here. Intriguingly they have as many Aussie voices as 9 will (well almost) given Haysman was a rebel tourist in 1985 and stayed (now lives in the US) and Kepler represented both countries.
I wonder if there’s an arrangement in place so Nine can take Supersport’s commentary in the event of a failure? Would be good to see that happen.
Happy to hear that the graphics will be updated; they are in desperate need of a refresh. Hoping for something similar to what Sky has in the UK.
Why on earth are we the only cricketing country to still put wickets before runs?
Everyone else is 140-4 but we are 4-140
Show some respect and do it right.
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It must be a Aussie thing.
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I prefer it that way.
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All the other countries are wrong. 
I have never seen an Australian media outlet use the international method. Print, radio, television etc all use wickets then runs, so it’s definitely something that won’t change anytime soon.
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Me too☺